WKORV- 2 Bedroom Lockoff - Resale Purchase Question - Every Year vs Every other Year - Splitting Stays Question & Banking

[KyleReilly]

Hi Everyone,

I've been looking at WKORV for some time, I used my aunt's timeshare back in 2013, and am using it later again this year. I originally was looking at a 1 bedroom annual via resale, but realized the maintenance fees were not much more for a 2 bedroom lockoff. It's only like a $300-400 difference for an extra room (or an extra week if I split stay). That would give me the option for either a 2 bedroom (which I would only need if I brought family), or a 2 week stay (one in studio and one in one bedroom), or a 1 week stay and 1 week elsewhere via Star Options.

I'm trying to find out the main differences between the every year and every other year. Of course, the points are given either every year or every other year, but how does that impact banking? I know if I bank, I can keep for up to 2 years. So technically, if I did every other year, I could go on a trip every year. However, I know that banked options are only 8 months and not 12 months, so it turns into a star option. Does that mean when using star options at my home resort, I would give up my Ocean View, and could potentially get an Island view? While 148k points is a lot each year for me, the ability to use at other resorts is nice, and the maintenance fee isn't much more other than the difference in the upfront cost.

How does using star options impact my view (ocean view)? When I bank, do I just lose the ability to book at 12 months? When booking at 8 months, am I guaranteed by ocean view or could I get to the resort and get either an ocean view or island view?

Also, I guess I can only check in on Fri-Sun, is this only for my home resort? When I use Star Options elsewhere, can I check in on other days?

If I decide to use one week, and bank the rest, I could use it at any Vistana resort within 8 months, are there any other strings I am missing?

Lastly, how would I go about doing an extended stay? Would I just book 1 week in a 1 bedroom and right after I book that, book a 1 week in the studio? I assume then I could change buildings as I would get whatever is available.

 

[capjak]

Once you bank or wait to book <8 months you lose your home resort priority and your view. WKORV-North, can book Fri/Sat/Sun only during 8-12 home priority. You can use staroptions at any resort at 8 months and you can book any day of the week (as long as it is available).

For our 2 bedroom OceanFront (176K options) what we do is book the studio for the first week and the 1 bedroom for the second week, these are booked right at the 12 month mark (WKORV-North seems easier to book Oceanfront than WKORV-south). Sometimes at 8 months we will book a 1 bedroom for 14 straight days at WKORV-North rather than changing rooms, we also use our SVV (81,000) and have been able to book 21 nights in a 1 bedroom (losing Oceanfront view and having island view). This year we had to move our time from March to August and were still able to book staroptions in an Oceanfront 1 bedroom for 14 nights due to the time of year at less than 8 months.

 

[KyleReilly]

That is super helpful Capjak. So when you book the back-to-back stays, I assume you can't do it both at the same night around midnight, since it's exactly 12 months? Does that mean you have to book the studio and then exactly a week later, book the one-bedroom? How has it been moving your items if there is a 6-hour gap in between checkout and check-in, have them been flexible?

Your post helped a lot, so the 8-12 months I am guaranteed my room type, but within the 8-month window, it's fair game. So let's say I book 7 months out, can I pick ocean view if its available, or it is just simply booking a room, and you find out what type of room upon check-in?

How would that impact me if I did Every other year? I could borrow from the next year only if the next year was paid in advance. How would this work for going on a vacation every year? For example, if I do Every Even year, I could:

2 Bedroom Lockoff:
1. 2022, Get a 1 bedroom using 12 month priority. Bank the remaining points (studio).
2. 2023 - Use the banked 2022 points. Lose 8 month priority since I banked them, but get a studio. I have no banking fee (but I would have a $99 fee if I borrow from 2024). I lose out on my room type and get whatever is available.
3. 2024 - Option A: I could use a 2 bedroom for 1 week or B: get 1 week studio and 1 week 1 bedroom or C: Use 1 week 1 bedroom, and bank the studio for the next year.

Is that right?

 

[byeloe]

For 2) I don't think that you can borrow from 2024 to use in 2023

 

[Sicnarf]

That is super helpful Capjak. So when you book the back-to-back stays, I assume you can't do it both at the same night around midnight, since it's exactly 12 months? Does that mean you have to book the studio and then exactly a week later, book the one-bedroom? How has it been moving your items if there is a 6-hour gap in between checkout and check-in, have them been flexible?

Your post helped a lot, so the 8-12 months I am guaranteed my room type, but within the 8-month window, it's fair game. So let's say I book 7 months out, can I pick ocean view if its available, or it is just simply booking a room, and you find out what type of room upon check-in?

How would that impact me if I did Every other year? I could borrow from the next year only if the next year was paid in advance. How would this work for going on a vacation every year? For example, if I do Every Even year, I could:

2 Bedroom Lockoff:
1. 2022, Get a 1 bedroom using 12 month priority. Bank the remaining points (studio).
2. 2023 - Use the banked 2022 points. Lose 8 month priority since I banked them, but get a studio. I have no banking fee (but I would have a $99 fee if I borrow from 2024). I lose out on my room type and get whatever is available.
3. 2024 - Option A: I could use a 2 bedroom for 1 week or B: get 1 week studio and 1 week 1 bedroom or C: Use 1 week 1 bedroom, and bank the studio for the next year.

Is that right?

Yes for 1, 2 and 3 but you can't borrow even to odd years. Also, you lose view guarantee when booking <8 months.

 

[KyleReilly]

Yes for 1, 2 and 3 but you can't borrow even to odd years. Also, you lose view guarantee when booking <8 months.

When you say lose view Guarantee, does that mean I won't know until I get to the resort what view I will have, or it is just that at the 8-month mark, when I book online, it will tell me what is available (which could be island or ocean view)?

With regards to borrowing, if I chose Every other Even Year, I could only borrow on the even years? Meaning I could borrow from 2024 in 2022? Or which years could I borrow for which years?

 

[controller1]

When you say lose view Guarantee, does that mean I won't know until I get to the resort what view I will have, or it is just that at the 8-month mark, when I book online, it will tell me what is available (which could be island or ocean view)?

With regards to borrowing, if I chose Every other Even Year, I could only borrow on the even years? Meaning I could borrow from 2024 in 2022? Or which years could I borrow for which years?

When you book in the 12- to 8-month window you are booking a reservation with the view guaranteed to be the view you purchased and own. At WKORV, reservations made at the 8-month or less window will have a choice (subject to availability) of OceanFront and everything else. The OceanFront will of course require more StarOptions than the other option but you will be guaranteed a view while the other option will not have a guaranteed view and you will not know that view until you check in.

 

[Henry M.]

When you say lose view Guarantee, does that mean I won't know until I get to the resort what view I will have, or it is just that at the 8-month mark, when I book online, it will tell me what is available (which could be island or ocean view)?

You will not know the room or view until you get to the resort.

You could use more Staroptions to reserve Ocean Front, though. In that case, you would be guaranteed the view.